And other people missing limbs, or organs. They may be on the verge of being able to regenerate them.

It's not just injured vets (although that would be the biggest plus.) This could be the crack that burst the dam in terms of use in the general population, superhumans, and all the ethical questions that go along. We live in interesting times.

So- how many folks here are old enough to have read Madeline L'Engle's "The Arm of the Starfish" as a kid?

Regeneration would be a good thing for all of us. If this same type of genetic therapy could be used to cure or turn back cancer, or Parknisons or Alzheimers or, insert deadly disease here. Then WOW!!

I do agree with Ken though, ethics does play into this. But whose and how soon do they change and how much?

We have to remember that 150 years ago, many doctors thought most surgery was "playing God". Amputations during the Civil War changed that opinion in America.

Along that line, I remember when they first heart transplant was done. My grandparents were dead set against it. My grandfather died of a heart attack just a few years later. Both my uncle and my father have had baypass surgeries since then.

We have come a long way medically and ethical opinionwise since then. Coranary Bypass is now as normal as removing tonsils was 50 years ago. Which by the way, is hardly done anymore.

Times and medical ideas and procedures do change, as well as public opinion.

I'd have to do some digging to find it, but I remember writing an article on this type of research at least 15 years ago. I seem to recall some Israeli researchers were taking a close look at the gene sequencing in the Amazon black ghost knife fish that allowed it to regenerate its tail- nerves and all. Apparently their work went up a blind alley- and there will be lots of those...
Before anything as 'sci-fi-ish' as regeneration of a complete organ or limb comes along- just simple nerve regeneration would be a major breakthrough- especially for all those immobilized with spinal cord injuries.

What about circumcision? Vital pressure and light-touch sensitive nerves and sensors are lost in this, a procedure done on infants w/o choice. In a way this too is an amputation procedure, I for one, would be satisfied with if it were possible to fully restore what was taken and thrown away needlessly.